One of the 10 girls are suffering on the eating disorders. This fact is true and pretty sad because the victims are girls.

MANY victims of eating disorders usually go undetected until their problems are manifested in severe health conditions, like drastic weight loss and disruption or secondary amenorrhea (when menstruation stops).

For instance, patients admitted to the Penang Hospital for eating disorders are reported to have a body mass index (BMI) of below 12 when a healthy BMI for Asians is anything between 18.5 and 24.

Malaysia’s head of psychiatry Datuk Dr Suarn Singh says parents are also hesitant to seek professional help because of the fear of stigmatisation – having their child being recorded as a psychiatric case.

“Eating disorders are psychiatric problems and the patients must be referred for treatment by experts including psychiatrists,” he says.

He also laments the lack of awareness on eating disorder among Malaysians, including professionals.

“There are no seminars or conferences that address the issue specifically. I hope the media will do more write-ups on the condition so that the public will understand the problem better,” he says.

Although the incidence of eating disorders in the country has yet to reach an alarming stage, nevertheless Dr Suarn says there must be concerted effort to address the problem – from creating public awareness to getting parents and medical practitioners to be on the look out for signs and symptoms of the problem and referring the patients for proper treatment.

On the profile of patients with eating disorder, he says: “Most of them are in fact quite intelligent and have been performing well in school. Their academic performance would be hardly affected, at least not at the early stage of their problem.

That is why most parents tend to think that their child will grow out of the problem.”

Dr Suarn says many patients seek professional help only when their condition has reached a critical stage.

“For instance, parents are only worried when the menstruation of their children are affected,” he says.

Penang Hospital child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Lai Fong Hwa says Malaysia is yet to have an eating disorder unit. Nevertheless, the hospital has an adhoc multidisciplinary team of specialists comprising psychiatrists, staff nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to handle such cases.

Dr Lai says the hospital submitted a proposal to the Health Ministry a few months ago requesting a few beds for patients with eating disorders. Such patients admitted to the hospital would be taught how to exercise and relax and this would not only relieve their anxiety over eating but also help tone up their muscles.

Chartered psychologist Dr Hera Lukman from the International Medical University says Malaysia is in dire need of an eating disorder unit.

“We definitely need one here. There are people with eating disorders who come and talk to me but I can only refer them to the closest centre, which is in Singapore,” she says.

However, she adds, the cost and distance of going to the centre deter them from seeking help.

“When help is delayed, the condition can become severe and death can happen.”

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